A section of southbound Harbor Scenic Drive in the Port of Long Beach will be closed nightly starting Thursday, Feb. 26, to allow crews to construct new foundations for the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project. Traffic heading to the Queen Mary, cruise terminal and nearby hotels, as well as Port terminals will be diverted to southbound Pico Avenue during the closure periods.

Nighttime closures are currently scheduled to last until 5 a.m. Friday, April 17. All southbound lanes of Harbor Scenic Drive from the off-ramp to Pico Avenue/9th St. (Piers B – E, Terminal Island) to Harbor Plaza will be closed. The intersection of Harbor Scenic Drive and Harbor Plaza will remain open.

The nightly closure schedule is:

Monday to Thursday, closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Fridays closed at 9 p.m. and open by 7 a.m. Saturday

Saturday closed at 9 p.m. and open by 8 a.m. Sunday

Sunday closed at 9 p.m. and open by 5 a.m. Monday

During the full closure, all traffic headed southbound on the Long Beach (710) Freeway to Piers F – J, the Queen Mary, cruise terminal and waterfront businesses will be detoured to the Pico Avenue exit (Piers B – E, Terminal Island) for access to southbound Pico Avenue.

When southbound Harbor Scenic Drive is open, traffic is reduced to one lane because of adjacent bridge construction work. Motorists are reminded to follow posted speed limits and drive with caution through the construction area as crews are working nearby.

With two towers, each about 50 stories tall, the $1.3 billion Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project will be one of the tallest cable-stayed bridges in the United States and the first of its kind in California. It will raise the clearance over the channel from 155 feet to 205 feet, allowing the world’s largest ships to enter the Port’s inner harbor. And with three lanes in each direction plus inner and outer safety lanes, it will be wider and better able to serve future traffic volumes.

The public is encouraged to sign up at www.newgdbridge.com for weekly traffic alerts and download the “LB Bridge” mobile app for information about construction-related detours and project updates.